PayPal

PayPal handles cross-border online payments for both buying and receiving money, and is accepted by a very large number of merchants worldwide.

Its practical role for sellers is trust: buyers who will not enter card details on an unfamiliar site will often pay through PayPal, and its buyer protection is a real factor in conversion for small stores.

The costs to watch are the currency conversion spread and cross-border fees, which are noticeably higher than specialist transfer services — for regular international settlement it is usually not the cheapest route.